Still got the Blues...
Posted by: garyi on 21 July 2002
OK. many weeks ago I purchased from some poor schmuck on a booty the following: Black & White Blues - The Little Red Rooster
Now this cost me a whole 30p, which I thought was a bit steep, but there you go.
I havn't listenend to it untill today because when I first stuck it on it sounded awful, and I thought I had a dud. Anyhoo, today I cleaned it and it turns out it had a film of dust on it, almost like plaster dust or something, well now it sounds fantastic and I went through the whole thing.
As such I have quite a few blues people I need info on, (its a compilation album)
What I am looking for is each artists 'best' album. I could goto amazon I suppose, but what usually happens is I land up with a best of album, so here I am.
So here we go.
Otis Span The song: Pretty girls everywhere.
Elmore James the song: Dust my broom
Bo Diddley The song: Cops & robbers, (funny)
Williw MabonThe song: I don't know
Tommy Tucker The song: Hi-heel sneakers
Sonny Boy williamsonThe song Don't start me to talking
Alexis Korner's Blues Inc The song: hoochie Coochie Man (This group I am very interested in, yes I know the songs not theirs but great stuff)
Eric Burdon & The animals The song See see rider
Rod Stewert The song: Outskirts of town (well who would have thought Rod is/was good did he do blues to start? where should I look?)
Ten Years After The Song: Standing at the crossroads (WWWWooooWWowWWow, this is quite an amazing version of this tune, the guitarist is fantastic, please someone have info on this lot, please!)
Savoy Brown The song: Don't turn me from your door
Johnny winter The Song: Leaviin' Blues (someone else I have heard of but did not associate with blues, was I wrong?)
Them The song: Please don't go, (featuring Van the man, what did they do on their own, was it blues?)
I know its quite a lot to take in, but blues really seems to be my thing and this album has got me hankering for some blues products.
BTW anyone that dosn't own this album keep an eye out, the tunes are excellently recorded that name again Black & White Blues - The Little Red Roster
So bring it on, recommendations please.
Posted on: 21 July 2002 by matthewr
>> Them The song: Please don't go, (featuring Van the man, what did they do on their own, was it blues?) <<
They were known as Them and only acquired the name "Them (Featuring Van Morrison)" for commercial reasons after he had become famous in his own right rather than becuase there weas a phase when he wasn't in the band. Its not really blues, more R&B in the mid-60s British bands sense (rather than the TLC/Eternal sense) and is similar to early Stones.
I have their debut album (called "Them") which I think is their only think they only had one album and "Please Don't Go" isn't on it. You might be better off with some kind of compilation/best of as they had a bunch of hit singles which AFAICT didn't make an album.
BTW Arguably Them's best/most famous song "Gloria" was covered brilliantly by both The Doors (on the live album "Alive, She Cried") and Patti Smith on her classic debut "Horses". I'd buy both of those before I bought the Them album. The Doors album even has a version of the blues classic "Little Red Rooster" and a cracking version of "Moonlight Drive". Sadly there is also evidence of Jim Morrisson's poetry
Don't know much about the others I'm afraid.
Matthew
Posted on: 21 July 2002 by herm
I don't want to get too deep into this, it's not my turf, but Them was an excellent blues band and they made at least two albums. Everyone did. No one split before that second album.
I remember graffiti (before they were called graffiti) on busstops saying Them.
Bands like Them and the Animals are good enough to get the entire output, Gary, don't be silly with your hits albums. You might just miss the song that would change your life (or spelling).
And you donlt want PAtti Smith or Frank Sinatra's version of Brown Eyed Girl, or Gloria. You want Them.
You are aware of John Mayall and the Blues Breakers? Little Red Rooster: you are aware of Mssrs Jagger & Cie on their second LP recording?
Just wait till Nick comes. He'll tell you what to do...
Herman
Posted on: 21 July 2002 by John C
Garyi I'll stick to a few.
Them were the 2nd greatest garage rock band of all time, and are only second because the Kingsmen recorded Louie Louie. Belfast, home of the Blues! The great Van played with them for a few records before splitting and recording the single greatest album ever made Astral Weeks. The rest are session musos or binmen now. Though I fondly remember seeing them sans Van in the Errigal Inn on the Ormeau Rd. many moons ago.There are only a few recordings and all available on CD.Great stuff.
Sonny Boy - Get the Essential on Chess/MCA. I have this double CD and assume its still available.
Elmore James "Lets Cut It".. An Ace records compilation, fantastic starting point.
Johnny Winter is an albino blues musician, |I saw him in St Louis years ago but can't recommend any records.
Rod Stewart... I think Atlantic Crossing is great. Rod gets a bad press but he is far more important than say ...a charlatan like David Bowie.
John
BTW if you can find Charly Blues Mastersorks CDs everywhere, great introduction to everyone.
[This message was edited by John C on SUNDAY 21 July 2002 at 21:27.]
Posted on: 21 July 2002 by John C
"BTW Arguably Them's best/most famous song "Gloria" was covered brilliantly by both The Doors (on the live album "Alive, She Cried") ... I'd buy both of those before I bought the Them album. The Doors album even has a version of the blues classic "Little Red Rooster" and a cracking version of "Moonlight Drive""
Proof positive of Matthew's astonishingly poor taste in music. The Doors, turgid. The interesting thing about Blues and how it influenced music in major ports such as Belfast and Liverpool is the fact that Manchester and its environs simply don't get it. No wonder their music is so depressed and doesn't swing!
John
The Patti Smith is good though
Posted on: 21 July 2002 by garyi
"Rod Stewart... I think Atlantic Crossing is great. Rod gets a bad press but he is far more important than say ...a charlatan like David Bowie."
John, I think statements like these deserve a thread of their own!
snigger.
Posted on: 21 July 2002 by matthewr
John,
You appear to have mistyped The Flamin' Groovies as Them. Lord knows what your fingers fumbled over to produce Astral Weeks.
"Rod Stewart... I think Atlantic Crossing is great"
I rest my case.
Matthew
Posted on: 21 July 2002 by John C
Matthew, teenage head isn't everything, although it does seem that way at the time.
John
Posted on: 21 July 2002 by gusi
Gary,
Sonny Boy Williamson and Elmore James recorded in the 30's. I have never seen an "original" album of them, but there are lots of good compilations. I have a few, invariably they are called "best of", "the chess years" etc. You'll know all the tracks, specially Elmore James is covered by every blues band.
I am not even sure that they had LP's back then, maybe just 78's and 45's.
I have a few dozen Johnny Winter Albums so I can give you a few tips there. There are some great albums and some average ones so you want to get the right ones.
His early stuff is all blues. My favourites there are "Johnny Winter" and "Johnny Winter Live" The track "it's my own fault" is a real classic. Another good one is "white hot and blue". The second album is good too but I forgot the name. Willy Dixon played bass on the first two LPs.
Late 70's he played with Muddy Waters, Live, Hard Agian, I'm Ready and King Bee are good here. The Live album and Hard Again are _very_ _very_ good.
Mid eighties on he recorded about an album a year on aligator, Guitar Slinger is one of my favourites from that time.
There are heaps more but those have spend the most time on my turntable.
Don't mix him up with his brother Edgar who had a rock band.
Enjoy,
Gus
Posted on: 21 July 2002 by Jez Quigley
When you have digested the suggestions above, you might want to investigate the Rev Gary Davis and Missisippi John Hurt. That stuff is so real you can taste the dust in your mouth.
"All systems are perfectly designed to get the results they get."
Posted on: 22 July 2002 by Peter Stockwell
Nick great post, but I beg to differ on a few points.
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Lees:
If you get your paws on Beck-Ola, by the Jeff Beck Group, you get a thunderously good album featuring Rod Stewart on vocals .... It was his second album in this incarnation (the first, "Truth", isn't quite as good but worth looking out for) and was released in 1969.
Lucky me, got Truth/Beck Ola on one CD, I think the Truth part better than the Beck/Ola part. The worst part of both these discs is the attempts at pop songs hidden amongst the good tunes. Rod is in fine voice. In fact, Rod Stewart is one of the (musical) tragedies of the late 20th Century. His output turned to crap from Atlantic Crossing onwards. He can still recognise a good tune, but most of the time doesn't have the pipes anymore to carry it. Exception to the Rule is the Unplugged Cd featuring Ron Wood. This is a fine addition for early Rod fans.
quote:
Try finding Muddy Waters' classic electric version of some of his best known blues songs on the album "Hard Again", or if you're in a particularly dotty mood search out "Electric Mud" by him.
While it's true that Hard Again is a surpisingly good album and get's to the heart of the Muddy Waters it suffers form the Johnny Winter flavour, IMO. Better to look for a Chess recording of his greatest hits, unfortunately hard to find and generally relatively expensive on LP. I believe there's a Chess CD Box dedicated to Muddy Waters. Arguably the finest Blues singer/songwriter on the chess roster. My Preference rests with Howlin' Wolf.
quote:
Early ZZ Top is another bunch to look out for. Before they were "discovered" by the MTV generation, they produced some stunning blues albums, peaking with the wonderful "Deguello", which also has the benefit of being a Hi-Fi show-off record too. Wonderful guitar sound. Don't buy anything by them later than 1979, unless you like the poppy stuff.
OK no arguments, I'll look out for Deguello.
quote:
... you ought to try the very very early Fleetwood Mac albums - i.e with Peter Green, but in their 12 bar blues phase, before Green Manalishi and the good stuff. They are shite in my opinion.
The Peter Green stuff is good, I like Green manalishi, but hey I'm not immune to Nostalgia
quote:
John C - how come you didn't mention Taste/Rory Gallagher? Didn't like them, but they're worth a try if you see them cheap, I suppose.
I have Tastes on the Boards, at the time I found them too basic, but in hindsight quite enjoy them.
Peter
Posted on: 22 July 2002 by Peter Stockwell
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Lees:
Peter,
In amongst all my rambling, I hid the big caveat in my first P.S. - I don't really like blues.
I'll readily confess to liking blues that's more rock-like. This does colour my recommendations! I really can't abide the proper blues...
Nick,
something else you don't get ?
. Yes it can be tedious the blooze, It also covers a lot of ground. But the Chess house sound from the 50s and 60s is just great, and you can hardly go wrong with anything from that period. Nobody mentioned John Lee Hooker, he's made some good tunes, and once again ultimately it's the fifties output that's most interesting. The tarted up 80s & 90s output is a good way in, but it's like preferring Ozzie plonk to fine old world Claret
having said that, I still can't hack, much of, the delta blues, Old geezers strumming away for what seems like hours.
Peter
Posted on: 22 July 2002 by Goose
I am so glad that some other people recognise the early ZZ Top blues as well as me. It s so unfortunate that when you say " I like ZZ Top", people just laugh, for the reason Mr Lees quoted!!
But for blues fans the early stuff is legendary..esp the first album and Tres Hombres.
I saw them support Eric Clapton, they just played blues and blew him and Joe Cocker off stage!
CHeers
Goose
Posted on: 22 July 2002 by Chris L
.....went very strange in his later years.
But, IMHO, his best work was:
Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated "R&B From Marquee"
They were really the first, or one of the first British blues super groups, featuring: Cyril Davies, Jack Bruce, Charlie Watts, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Graham Bond and Ginger Baker (those being the most notable).
The only problem, it doesn't seem to be available any more. I've seen plenty of copies in the used vinyl stores, though.
Chris L
Posted on: 22 July 2002 by Lo Fi Si
At last, someone (Peter S) mentioned JLH, what about Howling Wolf? There are some Chess reissues / compilations kicking around, at least one with good liner notes by Willie Dixon. I'm surprised that Nick L didn't include the GD's version of Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning" (on Bears Choice V1 IIRC).
If you like the Stones' / Them's (?) take on the blues, try the Pretty Thing's first (eponymous) album, before they went all concept, or even Captain Beefheart's "Legendary A&M Sessions"
Simon
Posted on: 22 July 2002 by greeny
The Ten Years After guitarist is Alvin Lee, he is rather fine, and was one of the stars of Woodstock. Unfortunately i've not got any LPs so can't recommend anything.
Early Fleetwood mac (1st 2 albums) is half excellent half dross. The dross half is that on which Jeremy Spenser plays lead slide guitar, usually Ellmore James songs or Spencer originals. This stuff is very samey and you quickly bore of it. However the Peter Green songs are excellent and rival any modern blues (IMO) i.e SRV etc.
Posted on: 22 July 2002 by Gavin B
In terms of recent stuff, how about "Shake Hands with Shorty" by The North Mississippi Allstars from a couple of years ago. Great stuff.
Posted on: 22 July 2002 by garyi
Sorry I should have mentioned some other bits.
This particular album compilation does have the likes of Hooker, Howlin' Wolf etc, however I am already making in roads into these peoples music any how.
On that point everyone should keep and eye out for Muddy 'Missasipi' Waters live, Johnny Winter produces it and for an old live album is seriously good. Except for a bit of slide guitar towards the end, probably sounded great live but slide always seems to fail the transition to tape and ulitmately sounds like a cat being rogered
Posted on: 23 July 2002 by Peter Stockwell
quote:
Originally posted by garyi:
On that point everyone should keep and eye out for Muddy 'Missasipi' Waters live, Johnny Winter produces it and for an old live album is seriously good.
Now you is talkin'. But what do you mean, Old!???, it was recorded 1979-81, that ain't old. An aside, many recordings from the 50s and 60s, particulary jazz and Chess recordings, are better than 70s/80s recordings. Of the three Winter produced Muddy Waters resuscitation recordings this one is the best, IMO. I have it on LP and everything is turned up to 11. A truly palpable live recording.
I can't remember the name of that second album, 'King Bee' I think. Anyway whilst digging around on Amazon.fr I found this. Which has a fine slice of the best of Muddy Waters:-
Peter
Posted on: 23 July 2002 by garyi
Thanks for the recommendations every one.
One thing from all this. I think that like Nick I may prefer the upbeat blues, at least this album comes across that way.
I got John Lee Hookers Folk Blues, and for my tastes is boring.
The stuff I like had ripping guitar stuff in it as well, so in that respect my tastes run to RnB?
Plenty to look out for though, I just wish someone was clearing out their loft and let me have all this stuff.
You know I know at least 4 people with lots of records rotting in the loft. They have stated that they will never play them again, and all don't even have a record deck, will they let me have them? will they even let me purchase them?
Not a bloody chance, what a waste. One of them a good friend is well into blues, you should see all the records he has siting one atop each other in a warm/cold loft all year, makes my heart bleed so it does.
rant over.
Posted on: 23 July 2002 by Paul Ranson
Two random suggestions independent of Garyi's compilation are,
Otis Rush, Tops
and
Buddy Guy, Sweet Tea
The former is oldish but good, the latter is brand new. Both artists get a nice tone from their guitars.
Paul
